John Lineker confident he can KO both T.J. Dillashaw and Dominick Cruz

John Lineker impressed in his return to the bantamweight division, and already is aiming for the UFC gold.

Fighting at 135 pounds for the first time since signing with the UFC in 2012, Lineker tapped Francisco Rivera with a guillotine in an epic battle at UFC 191. The Brazilian fighter, who racked up a 6-2 record as a flyweight inside the Octagon, was surprised with his performance in September.

“I felt strong in this ‘new old’ division,” Lineker told MMAFighting.com. “I thought I would be weak compared to the other bantamweights in the UFC, but I felt pretty well.”

Lineker vs. Rivera lasted only 128 seconds, but had it all. The bantamweights traded punches in a wild exchange, with Lineker knocking “Cisco” down and jumping guard to lock a guillotine choke.

“That wasn’t my strategy, actually, but I believe a lot in my left hand,” Lineker said. “I know that when it lands, it rocks you, so I went for it. My original strategy was to tire him out in the fence in the first round, but my hand landed and I changed my strategy.”

Ranked at No. 12 at the bantamweight division after scoring one of his biggest UFC wins, Lineker ….View original article